The British Veterinary Association has criticised the conclusions drawn by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust in its report on badger vaccine deployment.
The report considers the effectiveness of the Trust's programme of deploying the injectable BadgerBCG vaccine in seven nature reserves covering only 170 hectares (1.7 sq km) during the summer.
It concludes that the badger vaccine is a viable alternative to culling in the battle against bovine TB, but according to the BVA, does not give evidence to support this claim.
Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: "We welcome the initiative by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust to investigate the deployment of the badger vaccine but this work must not be confused with an investigation into the effectiveness of the badger vaccine in reducing or eradicating bovine TB.
"To conclude from this report that the badger vaccine is a viable alternative to culling in eradicating TB is unrealistic at best and spin at worst.
"The fact remains that the vaccine has no protective effect on infected badgers and we know that at least 30-40% of badgers within an area will be infected. Many young badgers will be infected before they can be trapped and injected.
"In terms of the practicalities of deployment this report provides interesting information but we will learn much more as a result of Defra's Badger Vaccine Deployment Project which is looking at a much larger area of 100 sq km.
"Vaccination of badgers certainly has a role to play in an effective TB eradication programme but it is only one tool in the toolbox."
Veterinary surgeons who intend to conduct research in the field of gastroenterology in dogs or cats can apply for a grant of up to €20,000 awarded by the European Emesis Council (EEC).
The New Clinical Investigator Grant is open to qualified veterinarians who have obtained their degree within the last seven years and are working in Europe. The award will be made to support an original research into naturally occurring gastrointestinal disease - for a period of up to two years.
The European Emesis Council is a science-driven, non-charitable, not-for-profit group dedicated to promoting best practice in the management of canine and feline emesis and in the wider field of gastroenterology. It consists of specialists from France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UK, who are acknowledged experts in veterinary gastroenterology.
The EEC has decided to award the research grant as part of its on-going commitment to building and developing better practice in the management of canine emesis and associated causes. The group is supported by Pfizer Animal Health.
Applications will be evaluated by the EEC and must be conducted in strict accordance with the highest standards for animal care, including the standards of applicant's national animal research legislation and other relevant European laws, regulations and guidelines.
The New Clinical Investigator Grant recipient will be presented at the ECVIM Congress in September 2010. Closing date for entries is 1 July 2010.
Further details and an application form are available online: www.emesiscouncil.com/eec-grant.
A Government decision not to embark on a badger cull in England, as reported today, will be the correct one for both badgers and cattle, says the RSPCA.
"This would be the right decision based on compelling evidence, particularly because the most authoritative scientific research ever undertaken on the subject recommended against badger culling as an effective way of controlling TB," said Dr Rob Atkinson, RSPCA Head of Wildlife Science.
"Evidence indicates that the vast majority of badgers are not infected with TB. Our opposition to a badger cull is based on solid science not sentiment. The RSPCA cares as much about cattle welfare as badgers. We are keen to work with farmers and governments to find positive solutions to the challenge of TB in cattle."
Defra has published a final epidemiology report into the Avian Influenza outbreak confirmed in Oxfordshire on 4 June.
The report concludes that at the time of writing (2 July) infection was confined to a single premise, and there is no evidence of infection on any contact or geographically close premises, or evidence of spread of infection to any other premises to date
While it has not been possible to conclusively identify the source of the infection, the two most likely sources of the outbreak are thought to be:
Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer, Alick Simmons, said ''This incident has demonstrated again the potential for avian influenza to be introduced into domestic poultry in the UK. The risk of further incidents, while low, remains. I urge poultry keepers to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity and to report suspicion of disease promptly including where records indicate increased mortality or reduced performance.''
The RCVS is inviting nominations from veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who are eligible to stand for RCVS Council and Veterinary Nurses (VN) Council, respectively, in next year’s elections.
The College says next year’s elections will not be affected by the current Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) consultation on the College’s governance arrangements and so, as always, six seats will be contested for RCVS Council, while two places are available on VN Council. Successful candidates are expected to serve four-year terms and will take up their places at RCVS Day in July 2016.
The nomination period for both RCVS and VN Councils runs until 5pm on Sunday 31 January 2016. In order to stand, candidates for either Council will need to complete a nomination form, submit a short biography and personal statement and supply a high resolution digital photo.
Each candidate will also need to have two nominators. For RCVS Council candidates, these should be veterinary surgeons who are on the RCVS Register but are not current RCVS Council members; for VN Council candidates, the nominators must be registered veterinary nurses who are not currently on VN Council.
Gordon Hockey, RCVS Registrar, said: "We are looking for committed and motivated veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who are dedicated to their respective professions and who, through the Councils and their various committees and subcommittees, wish to have direct input in decisions relating to how the College sets and advances standards of education and professional conduct. If this sounds like you then please find out more about standing as a candidate."
Liz Cox, Chair of VN Council, added: "I would strongly encourage all those want to have a say and play a leadership role in veterinary nursing to stand up and be counted and put themselves forward as a candidate. It is a very exciting time to join VN Council as the new Royal Charter has formalised the Council’s powers to regulate education and our professional standards, meaning that the decisions you make can have a very real impact on the profession."
The election period will start around mid-March and run until 5pm on Friday 29 April 2016. Ballot papers will be sent to all registered veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who are eligible to vote and, during the election period, the College will be sourcing questions from the professions to put to the candidates.
Nomination forms, guidance notes and frequently asked questions for prospective RCVS Council candidates can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/rcvscouncil16. The equivalent documents for VN Council candidates are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/vncouncil16.
Prospective candidates for either Councils are also invited a ‘Meet the RCVS Day’ at the College’s offices in Belgravia House on Tuesday 15 December 2015, where they will have the opportunity to find out more about the role of the College and RCVS and VN Councils.
RCVS President Dr Bradley Viner and Chair of VN Council Liz Cox will also be on hand to answer questions about the duties and responsibilities of members of the respective Councils. Those interested in attending should contact Emma Lockley, Events Officer, on e.lockley@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0773. Reasonable expenses for travel will be reimbursed.
In the online survey of 392 dog owners, which was conducted Companion Consultancy, 64.5% of owners said their dog has suffered from gastrointestinal upset.
51.8% said they used home cooked chicken and rice to manage their dog's digestive upset.
28.6% sought veterinary advice.
18.8% used a pre and probiotic, despite half of the respondents thinking they would be useful.
Veterinary nurse and sales manager at Vita, Tara Evans, said: “We know that digestive upset is very common in dogs, and almost two thirds of the survey respondents identified that scavenging was the primary cause of upset.
"We want to help support pet owners in knowing how they can best look after their pet in these situations, and provide them with both educational resources and an effective product.
“Education is key in helping owners make the best choices for their dogs.
"Changing their diet in a time of digestive upset isn’t always the best option, so it’s important that we provide owners with up-to-date information."
www.vitaanimalhealth.com
The Royal Veterinary College has established the Nestlé Purina RVC Intensive Respiratory Centre to provide advanced critical care for patients with severe respiratory diseases. The Centre will offer small animals the UK’s most advanced level of respiratory care with equipment that is more frequently found in human intensive care units, such as a state-of-the-art mechanical ventilator, a critical care monitor and specially made oxygen units (kennels).
Advances in veterinary care mean that animals are able to undergo more invasive procedures, such as extensive thoracic surgeries including cardiopulmonary bypass operations. These patients require more intensive post-operative care, including mechanical ventilation in some cases. The acquisition of this state-of-the-art equipment, to enable such an advanced level of care, has been made possible through sponsorship from Nestlé Purina.
Respiratory diseases are fairly common in companion animals – however there are limited options for treatment for animals that are severely affected with life-threatening respiratory failure. To date new techniques and treatments that have been developed for human patients with severe respiratory diseases have not been applied to animals. Some of the activities of the centre will involve evaluating the effectiveness and appropriateness of using some of these newly developed techniques on small animals.
“The RVC is perfectly placed to pioneer innovative treatment to improve the lives of animals with severe respiratory problems,” said Daniel Chan, Lecturer in Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care at the Royal Veterinary College.
“We’ve got the expertise of specialists in internal medicine, emergency and critical care, surgery, anaesthesia, diagnostic imaging and clinical nutrition – by combining these skills and with the support of Nestlé Purina, we will be able to deliver a comprehensive programme of care. This co-ordinated approach is unique.”
Specialised training modules and lectures for veterinary students, nurses and practitioners, will also be delivered as part of the Centre’s remit and the Centre is also creating a forum for clinicians and researchers from across the world to share information about advances in this field.
The researchers say that although increased appetite has been reported as a side effect of many AEDs in veterinary literature, the effect had not been quantified or studied in detail.
To assess the phenomenon in greater detail, the research team analysed food motivation through a validated Dog Obesity Risk Assessment questionnaire created by University of Cambridge1.
The study compared 222 dogs diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy with a control population of 7,086 healthy dogs.
The survey was designed to determine if epilepsy and AEDs were associated with increased food motivation, weight gain and decreased activity, and to assess if and how caregivers managed weight gain in this population.
The data revealed that dogs with idiopathic epilepsy receiving AEDs had significantly higher food motivation in comparison to healthy dogs – they had increased interest in food, were less selective about food, were more interested in food between meals, and wanted more food than usually offered.
In response, carers of dogs on medication put greater effort into restricting how much their dogs ate, particularly of human food.
Despite this, these dogs had significantly greater fat mass.
More than half of owners of dogs with epilepsy always used treats to administer their dog’s ASD medication (53%) and did not compensate for it by reducing the dog’s main food ration (34%).
Given the epilepsy treatment often involves medication two or three times a day, this has the potential to increase calorie intake substantially, an issue compounded by epileptic dogs also being less active.
The researchers say it's important that vets and nurses advise owners to monitor their dog's weight and help them manage it.
Dr Anna Morros-Nuevo of the University of Cambridge, and primary author of this study, said: "Idiopathic epilepsy, and in particular seizure episodes, have such an overwhelming impact on these dogs' families that side effects such as weight gain often get overlooked, both by vets and the pet's families.
"But unfortunately, obesity has lifelong negative impact on health and quality of life, since it predisposes dogs to suffer from joint problems and respiratory diseases, as well as metabolic disorders and urinary incontinence.
"Obese dogs have also been shown to have a shorter lifespan than dogs with a normal weight.
"While ASD are non-negotiable for many of these dogs, their caregivers and veterinarians should be aware of the lifelong impact of their side effects and manage them carefully.
"We hope these findings will help to increase awareness for both veterinary professionals and dog carers of the side effects of ASD and their impact for the patient."
Reference
The aim of the tool is to enhance the confidence of veterinary professionals in deciding when to prescribe and when to withhold antibiotics.
The tool is the next step in the PROTECT ME initiative, the core of which is the BSAVA/SAMSoc Guide to Responsible Use of Antibiotics: PROTECT ME guide in the BSAVA Library and the accompanying ‘Antibiotic use in our practice’ poster.
The current demo version of the tool provides advice on gastrointestinal infections.
Work is underway to cover all areas of the PROTECT ME guide.
Cameron Shuttlewood, Production Editor at BSAVA said: “Responsible use of veterinary medicines is key in supporting One Health and in retaining the right to prescribe antibiotics that are important in human medicine.
“We are pleased that the small animal veterinary community is embracing the importance of antibiotic stewardship, and we want this tool to make it quick and easy to follow existing evidence-based guidance.”
The full PROTECT ME guide, including printable posters and non-prescription forms, is available from www.bsavalibrary.com/PROTECTME.
BSAVA members can request free printed copies of the poster for their practice.
Non-members can purchase copies from www.bsava.com/shop for £5.
bsava.fillout.com/protectme
Paragon’s gardens feature bee and insect hotels, bird feeders, bat boxes and robin hides, plants for pollinators and long grass to suit hedgehogs.
The garden at Dalston has a bog garden and pond.
Children from the local primary school visit to plant trees and scatter wildflower seeds.
Paragon’s most ambitious project is at Newbiggin where, with the help of a grant from Forestry England, it is planting a three-hectare native broadleaf woodland, reinstating hedgerows and incorporating a wildflower meadow.
Gardeners’ World’s Frances Tophill presented the framed certificate and trophy at the Britain in Bloom Awards at Old Trafford Stadium, Manchester.
Laura Binnie, small animal vet and sustainability lead at Paragon, said: “When we set out to create wellbeing gardens for our staff to enjoy, and to do it as sustainably as we could, we never thought it would go this far.”
“In the veterinary profession, we’re at that unique intersection where people, planet and animals come together.
“We feel a responsibility to do something for the community, for nature and for our clients and staff, and to lessen our impact on the climate crisis.”
https://www.paragonvet.com
The National Office of Animal Health has launched http://www.pethealthinfo.org.uk/, a new website that bills itself as: "A 'one stop shop' featuring a wealth of animal health information and advice to help owners and potential owners to make decisions about their pets' healthcare."
I must say, full marks to NOAH and the web designers 9xb for a really polished website that presents information in a very easy-to-navigate format. First class job.
In general, the site content seems very good too. There's help for owners deciding what pet to buy, health guides for various common conditions for each species, first aid advice, and much more.
Personally, I think it would have been a nice tweak to offer something a tad more interactive in the section about picking a pet - something that actually made suggestions depending on your answers to the questions the site poses.
I also wonder how useful the Vet FAQs are likely to be. There are so many possible questions a pet owner might have, that a slightly random list seems to me to be of limited use.
But these are small points in the grand scheme of things. Overall, an excellent production, and one you may want to link your practice website to.
The Farm Animal Welfare Council (FAWC) has launched its "Report on the implications of castration and tail docking for the welfare of lambs".
The report considers the implications of castration and tail docking for the welfare of lambs and reiterates FAWC's earlier view that castration and tail docking of lambs are mutilations which should not be undertaken without strong justification.
Professor Wathes, Chairman of FAWC, said: "FAWC believes that scientifically based advice can now be given that will minimise the suffering arising from castration and tail docking."
He continued "If castration is warranted, some methods cause more suffering than others and pain relief should be given once practical methods of delivering local anaesthetics and analgesics have been developed."
The full report is available for download at: http://www.fawc.org.uk/
VetSurgeon.org has been setting new records for the amount of activity recorded on the site.
Membership of the community has grown from 1,832 in April, to 3,524 today. On December 2nd, there were 810 visits to the website, the largest number of visits in a single day. And in the month-to-date, 4,764 visitors have made 11,257 visits, during which they made 83,105 pageviews, an average of 7.4 per visit.
A year ago today, the site recorded 55 visits in a day. Forum posts were by no means an every day event. In fact, it was looking a bit like I'd just blown a very large amount of money on a website which would allow me to sit and talk to, er, myself. Things couldn't be more different now, and I'm over the moon to see how popular the site is becoming. It's especially rewarding to see a friendly, professional, collaborative and very active community becoming established in the forums, as that's at the heart of what I set out to try and achieve.
The awards fall into two categories, those which you need to be nominated for by other people and those which are also open to self-nomination:
Requiring nomination by another person:
Self-nominations allowed:
The deadline for the 2025 awards is Friday, 13 December 2024.
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/how-we-work/rcvs-honours-awards
Hi ,
I appreciate that this is a advertsiement for a soft tissue society , but as i was approached by a member of the commitee as this years programm does have potential interest for a medic. Namely Congenital and Herediatary disease.
If you are interested please contact avstsadmin@fsmail.net for detail
Ian
AVSTS Autumn Meeting 2010, 1st – 2nd October
Congenital and Hereditary Disease in Dogs and Cats
FRIDAY 1
st OCTOBER
9.30-10.00 Registration & Coffee
10.00-10.45 Heritable and Congenital Disease – David Sargan A Geneticist’s View
10.45-11.30 Ethics of the Management of Diseases Siobhan Mullan Present at Birth – Individual versus Population
11.30-11.50 Coffee
11.50-12.50 Surgical Treatment of Congenital and Hereditary Disease in Children
12.50-1.50 Lunch
1.50-2.25 The Way Forward? Michael Herrtage
2.25-2.40
Panel Discussion:David Sargan, Siobhan Mullan and Michael Herrtage
2.40-4.15 Brachycephalic Diseases
2.40-3.30 Brachycephalics: Gerhard Oechtering
Trapped in Man-Made Misery? Turbinate Ablation in BAOS
3.30-4.00 Brachcephalic Airway Obstruction Syndrome Rob White
4.00-4.15
Panel Discussion:
Gerhard Oechtering and Rob White
4.15-4.30 Coffee
4.30-5.30 Urogenital Disease and Cancer
4.30-4.50 Not Zipped-Up: Treatment of Extreme Jane Ladlow
Hypospadias in a Dobermann, plus Review of Hypospadias
4.50-5.10 A (Chamber) Potpourri of Peter Holt
Congenital Urinary Incontinence
5.10-5.30 Cancer in the Genes: Jane Dobson
Histiocytic Sarcoma in Flatcoated Retrievers and LUPA
5.30 Close
Vetoquinol is introducing new flip-off plastic caps on its injectable range to make the products more user-friendly.
Marbocyl 10% is the first product to benefit. The new caps mean it is no longer necessary to have the aluminium caps which were used to protect the rubber bung and were not always easy to remove. Other products in the injectable range will be adapted throughout 2008.
“Vetoquinol is continuously looking at ways to improve its products,” explains Vetoquinol’s Alvin Cerely. “The phasing out of aluminium caps and the introduction of flip-off lids is a definite improvement in the use of our injectable antibiotics.”
The Kennel Club has launched the Genetics Centre at the Animal Health Trust (AHT) to accelerate research into inherited canine disease.
It aims to create further diagnostic tests which, together with breeding advice, will improve the health and welfare of generations of dogs.
Because of the small gene pool in purebred dogs, inherited diseases resulting from single gene mutations are more likely to occur than in their cross bred cousins. This can lead to significant welfare issues. There are more than five million purebred dogs in the UK alone and many of these will benefit from the findings of the Genetics Centre.
Over the next five years, the centre aims to investigate 25 inherited diseases. It will develop, where possible, screening tests to determine affected and carrier dogs that can be performed with simple mouth swabs. In deciding which diseases to investigate, the joint Kennel Club and AHT team will look at their impact on the health and welfare of dogs, but also on the support of breeders and access to data and samples.
Dr Peter Webbon, Chief Executive of the AHT, said: "We're delighted to work in partnership with the Kennel Club on this important welfare issue. Our level of skill and expertise within this field is unparalleled and the new centre enables us to extend our current range of DNA tests.
"We hope, in time, this will equip breeders with essential information so they can plan successful breeding strategies to avoid the birth of affected dogs, and ultimately, to eliminate disease from breeds at risk."
Dr. Cathryn Mellersh and Dr. Sarah Blott, two of the AHT's genetics experts, will lead the Centre. Both have been fundamental in identifying defective genes and developing screening tests which identify a dog's genetic status and minimise the risk of producing affected puppies.
The Centre will also introduce new approaches in dog breeding. One major advance will be estimated breeding values (EBVs). These will enable whole dog populations to be evaluated for inherited disease - even if individuals haven't been scanned or DNA tested themselves.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club spokesperson, said: "The Kennel Club is pleased to support research which improves the health and happiness of dogs. Working in partnership with the Animal Health Trust means we can start to tackle the problem of inherited disease much quicker.
"We have already made significant investment in this area, and are now delighted to step up the scope of this research. It is a very real possibility that through this Centre we will be able to eradicate certain inherited diseases in some dogs."
Dr Ed Hall, President of BSAVA, said: "Inherited disease is one part of a complex issue involved with breeding pedigree dogs.
"I personally welcome any efforts to improve our current understanding of the area and trust that the Kennel Club Genetics Centre will make massive progress in the next five years in order to enable owners to make informed breeding decisions and, in time, to reduce the effect of inherited disease."
Royal Canin has announced a new Approved Weight Management Centre programme for vet practices across the UK.
As part of the programme, a number of practices across the UK will receive ‘Centre of Excellence’ status for managing overweight or obese cats and dogs educating clients on prevention.
To gain approved centre status, practices are required to establish a formal Weight Management Clinic and work as a team to refer clients with overweight pets through the clinic. The chosen practices will receive bespoke training from a member of the Weight Management Team, to provide them with the skills and protocols to discuss obesity with clients and encouraging vets, nurses and receptionists to work together to raise awareness of obesity.
Shelley Holden from the Weight Management Team said: "This is a unique platform for practices across the UK to take advantage of and really excel in addressing weight management issues in practice and tackling prevention. We are excited to currently work with an elite group of practices, all committed to raising awareness of obesity in cats and dogs."
Royal Canin has so far given nine clinics 'Centre of Excellence' status. They all now discuss body condition scoring with patients to identify whether the pet is in ideal condition. If overweight or obese, they are then referred for further advice and support to their weight clinic. The weight clinic is a complimentary 30 minute appointment with a weight management nurse, followed by ongoing monitoring, personalised advice and telephone support. Approved clinics also educate owners about prevention during puppy parties, puppy and kitten vaccinations, and at neutering to ensure owners are aware of the health risks of weight gain from the outset.
Jo Hammett BVSc MRCVS, Owner of The Stocks Vets (pictured right), said: "We have received bespoke training from Royal Canin to achieve centre status, giving our team the confidence to discuss the sensitive issues surrounding weight with clients, in addition to tackling education. This has really helped break down barriers in approaching the topic with clients about their pets’ weight and we are finding they are now much more open with the team during consultations, which is a major achievement in itself."
For more information about the Approved Weight Management Centre programme, contact your veterinary business manager or visit www.royalcanin.co.uk.
A rural social scientist has argued in this week's Veterinary Record that the dwindling influence of vets in the public health arena threatens food safety in the UK. Philip Lowe, from the Centre for Rural Economy at the University of Newcastle, argues that a shift in practice from treating animals used for food on farms to looking after pets in urban communities, is largely to blame. The proportion of time vets in private practice spent treating animals used for food halved between 1998 and 2006. Most vets run their own businesses, and pet owners have proved a more sustainable and lucrative source of income than farmers. Professor Lowe sympathises with the need to make money, but laments this drift towards the profession turning into "another private sector service industry." He says this fails to make use of vets' considerable and wide ranging expertise, adding: "I would argue that it also diminishes the public standing of the whole profession. I certainly couldn't imagine the medical establishment in this country accepting a role that marginalised public health, even if the NHS did not exist. More seriously for all of us, I believe that not involving vets in this important area also puts food safety in the UK at risk. "At the same time we live in an age when there is real and widespread public concern about welfare standards for farm animals, threats from animal diseases old and new (such as blue tongue, bird flu and swine flu), and food safety." Professor Lowe says that in the past, the veterinary arm of government traditionally provided leadership for the profession that was embodied by the Chief Veterinary Officer and was underpinned by the proportion of vets' income derived from public funding. But this is no longer the case, and is further undermined by the percentage of vets employed by government having shrunk from 11% to 4% over the past 40 years. Professor Lowe argues that the profession needs to rethink its role and the direction in which it is travelling. He says there needs to be more specialist support and training for student vets and novice practitioners so that they are not put off from farm practice before they have had a chance to develop their skills and confidence in this area. However, he cautions against returning to the stereotype popularised by the fictional James Herriot vet, who was depicted as a mainstay of the rural community: "The farm vet's position and respect for their expertise needs to be restored, but not in the old Herriot mould. He or she has to take on the much greater challenge of risk and welfare regulation and management across the whole food system".
Programme attached including details of how to register
Dear Colleague,
On behalf of the local organizing committee for the EVECCS 2010 Congress I would like to make you aware that Registration is now OPEN.
Below is a flyer for the event. You can find further information and register at www.eveccs2010.org
With small animal veterinarian and nursing programmes, an equine programme, social events and a beautiful city EVECCS 2010 is set to be a success. Why not come and join us?
Please help us by distributing this email to anyone you know who may be interested in attending.
Please note Royal Canin offers a number of free registrations to young veterinarians and vet nurses on a first come first served basis, young applicants should book and pay for their registrations and Royal Canin will refund them prior to Congress if they are selected within the first group.
If you are interested in submitting an abstract then please also see the information on the website.
Many thanks and we look forward to seeing you in Cambridge.
Toby Birch
EVECCS 2010 Local Organising Committee
www.eveccs2010.org
EVECCS 2010 will be held from 18th - 20th June 2010 at the University Arms, Cambridge CB2 1AD
A Pre-congress day will be held on 17th June 2010
The awards are to recognise outstanding veterinary practices that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in areas crucial to the future success of the profession.
There are three categories: Leadership and Management Skills, Team and Self-Development, and Veterinary Start-Ups.
The three category winners will each win day and evening tickets to SPVS Congress 2025 on Thursday 30th January for three team members, plus overnight accommodation at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
Shortlisted practices will each win a book of their choice.
The deadline for submissions is Friday 18th October 2024.
https://spvs.org.uk/business-excellence-awards/
The Big Pain Survey is designed to identifying opportunities to help veterinary professionals improve their patient pain management and take a zero tolerance approach to pain in their patients.
Last year's survey revealed that only 18% of veterinary professionals use pain scoring for chronic pain, 78% of practices don't offer pain clinics, only 23% of vets always prescribe analgesia for acute otitis externa, 70% of vets don't do epidural anaesthesia at their practice, and most veterinary professionals agreed that clients' understanding of pain is low.
The organisers say that last year's survey results also suggest that awareness around educational information such as the WSAVA pain management guidelines needs further promotion, particularly when it comes to the use of local anaesthesia.
For example, 39% of practices don’t use local anaesthesia during bitch spays.
Lack of experience was commonly cited as the reason that local anaesthetic was not used for a variety of procedures that would benefit from it, including dental extractions.
For those vets that do use local anaesthesia more regularly, many said they feel they still need further education about it.
Survey: https://forms.gle/prMypCrs5NB32yXZ7